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Description
Given the environmental problems (waste disposal, not all spaces are equipped for selective recycling) affecting both the city of Deva and the nearby villages, the project aims to implement an educational program that encourages the use of documentaries as a teaching tool, as well as the involvement of students on issues such as ecology, activism, human rights, thus creating learning environments that encourage civic engagement of young people. Students and teachers from one Secondary School and 10 high schools in Deva will benefit from the programme. Based on training workshops and course materials for the use of documentaries in classrooms, which includes a curriculum with 4 major themes on environmental education and civic engagement, we will produce 240 documentary screenings in each school involved in the project. To illustrate the subject matter more fully, environmental discussions will be included to stimulate reflection and learning. The discussions will be moderated by experts in ecology, activism and research. In order to apply what they have learned, students will participate in an activism training programme designed to build momentum for sustainable environmental change in their communities. These trainings are designed to help them learn to incorporate activism into their daily lives. The most pressing environmental issue facing their community will be identified and a local advocacy campaign will be run over the coming months until the issue is resolved. The campaign will be video-recorded and is designed as a means of promoting community involvement in the decision-making process. In terms of value, the partnership brings together essential complementary resources (MMV''s expertise in environmental advocacy and Bloc0''s expertise in innovative educational programmes), both technical and knowledgeable, and provides an opportunity to empower, engage and equip young people with the knowledge and tools to create lasting change in their communities.
Summary of project results
The Documentary for Change project was developed against the backdrop of the environmental problems faced by the Municipality of Deva and surrounding villages and involved the implementation of a programme that encourages the widespread use of documentary film as an educational tool, thus introducing themes such as ecology, activism and human rights into schools.
Eleven schools in Deva and its vicinity were selected for the project, targeting a group of 2000 students and 30 teachers. In November 2021, a training workshop was organized for the 30 teachers enrolled in the program. They received training from project experts on environmental and educational issues, focusing on the use of documentary films in the classroom as an alternative educational tool. The teachers subsequently conducted 225 film screenings in the classroom, with a total of 5509 students participating. The 8 films acquired through the project are available at no cost on the partner platform kinoteca.bloczero.ro, along with an online kit for their use (educational sheets and brochures). In 2022, the project team organized an additional 60 film screenings, followed by discussions with the contracted environmental expert regarding the environmental themes presented in the films. A course on advocacy and environmental protection took place in April, involving 25 students who identified and proposed 6 advocacy campaigns on environmental issues.
Youth and teachers acquired knowledge on how to position themselves as responsible actors and learned about the tools available to combat pollution.